Crowned With My Love
by Hikaru Morinaga
Summary: Heero and Duo have been dating for seven months. On the day of their anniversary, Heero decides it's time to tell Duo one very important thing, and ask him a very important question, something that's been on his mind for three years and seven months. 1x2. One shot. Complete.


**Crowned With My Love**

Heero's phone beeped, waking him up from his slumber. He lifted his head from the soft, warm pillow, noting his boyfriend was still fast asleep, and reached a hand over his slumbering boyfriend's chest to pick up his mobile and peek at the screen.

SEVEN MONTHS TOGETHER was on his lock screen, a calendar reminder he'd set up. Heero dropped the phone back in its spot on the mattress and wrapped his arm around him.

_Seven months already…huh?_ Didn't he and Duo just start dating? Since when had seven months passed?

He heard Duo take a huge breath before grunting and turning over so he was facing Heero. He pulled the blanket over his cold shoulders before opening his cobalt eyes and sleepily smiling at Heero.

"Mornin'." He rested his cheek on Heero's chest. "What was that beeping?"

"Nothing," Heero answered. "Just my alarm." He played with Duo's hair a bit before kissing his forehead. "Go back to sleep, it's too early for you yet."

Duo looked up at him, eyes still clouded with want for sleep, mumbling something like "okay" before kissing Heero and moving back to his side.

Heero pushed the covers aside, making sure Duo was still covered before slipping out of the bed. Shit. He didn't have anything planned—no romantic dinner at some fancy restaurant. Candlelit or otherwise, where the dress code was something more than jeans and a t-shirt. He wasn't going to head out to the nearest grocery and buy ingredients to cook something that would normally take all day in the span of a couple of hours.

Duo'd never really expected anything romantic from him, because Heero just wasn't that sort of person. But he wanted to surprise him. He threw on jeans and a tank top, something a little unseasonable, before shoving his arms into the sleeves of his warmer jacket and pulling his shoes on. He grabbed his phone.

"I'll be back in a bit, okay?" Heero said, not expecting a response at all. He grabbed his keys off the end table by the couch and headed out the door.

"Siri," Heero said to his iPhone, "give me directions to the nearest jeweler." According to the directions, there was one not too far. He pocketed his phone, hopped on his motorcycle, and rode out of the apartment complex lot.

Xoxo

When Heero walked into the jewelry store, it wasn't all that crowded. The majority of things were behind locked, plated glass displays. One of the customers gave him a strange look, probably because of the bike helmet, boots, and leather jacket that was actually Duo's and not his. So maybe he looked a little intimidating. He didn't have a gun in his hand (it was holstered to the inside of his jeans actually) or threaten to rob the place, so what was the big deal?

He approached the counter, looking at the ring displays. Most of them were meant for brides-to-be, with all sorts of jewels and diamonds and the like. There were a few engagement rings for men, but they were kind of gaudy looking.

"Can I help you?"

"Do you have any plain engagement rings?"

The jeweler looked at him funny. "We have wedding bands and engagement rings with empty settings, but we don't have _plain_ engagement rings." He laughed, because clearly wanting a plain ring was the most ludicrous thing in the entire Earth Sphere Unified Nations.

"…do you have anything for someone who's Irish?"

The man pointed him to the other side of the counter. "Claddaghs are over there, but they're kind of girly." He led Heero over to the aforementioned display. "The crown means loyalty, hands mean friendship, and the heart means love. They're used as engagement rings and they're really meant more for _girls_."

Heero stared at him and asked point blank, "What's 'girly' about something symbolizing love, loyalty, and friendship?" Many of them were adorned with jewels and all sorts of other embellishments, but there were ones made of sterling silver and gold. Heero pointed at the sterling silver one.

"That one."

"What size?"

"Eight."

A few minutes and several declined upsells later, Heero pocketed a ring box and drove off to his next destination: the bakery. There he purchased a half cake (which was basically half of a cake). His next stop was the liquor store, where he got a nice red wine. All of these things he stored inside the seat, where the only other item was a half crumbled pack of cigarettes. A few minutes more and one blown through stop sign later, Heero was home, the cake and wine under one arm as he unlocked the front door.

The living room was still empty, Heero noted, as he pulled off his boots and left them by the door. He shoved the cake in the fridge and the wine he left on the counter. He took off his jacket and hung it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs before padding down the hallway. Duo had moved to the middle of their bed, his arms around his pillow. Duo had a habit of stealing his pillow whenever he left the bed.

"Oi. Duo."

He squeezed the pillow more. "Noooo."

Heero sat on the bed. "Wake up. I have something for you."

Duo opened one eye. "Presents?"

Heero leaned over him, one hand cupping his face, eyes staring into Duo's for a moment, noticing how light they looked when he just woke up, before kissing him softly.

"For later," Heero murmured, kissing him again. Duo chuckled, his voice a little raspy.

"Oh?" He nipped Heero's bottom lip, propping himself up on his elbows, his hair falling mostly over his arm. "What's stopping you from giving it to me now?" He got on his back, cupped Heero's face with both hands, and pulled him down for another kiss.

"Let me make breakfast," Heero said before breaking away, leaving the bed. "You need to wake up and get dressed."

Duo pouted. "I _am_ awake! You tease!"

Heero laughed and left the room, leaving the bedroom door open.

"You'd better make me pancakes," Duo called after him.

"Hai, hai," Heero said, "I'll make you whatever you want today."

Duo didn't answer. He looked at his phone. Today wasn't anything special, was it? Why was Heero treating him special? Shit, did he forget his birthday again? No, that wasn't until next month. What the hell happened in February? It was too late for Valentine's…

_It's times like these I wish I kept track of dates better._

Xoxo

Heero cooked breakfast. He made lunch. Hell, he even made dinner, which wasn't even that special because they only had pasta left and Heero'd forgotten to do the grocery shopping yesterday. He'd have to buy more tomatoes so Duo could make more sauce, since he used the last of it. Heero saw a hint of surprise on Duo's face when he brought wine to the table.

"Christ, Heero. The hell'd you plan on doing tonight?" Duo gestured to the wine, the (simple) dinner, the lone candle placed on the table.

Heero shrugged, but inside he was wondering the same thing. Seven months was a little soon in a relationship to get engaged, wasn't it? Especially at eighteen years old. Sure, they'd known each other since they were fifteen, and it took them a bit to realize what these feelings meant, but seven months to get used to the idea of being together _in that way_ wasn't that long a time. But looking at the young man sitting next to him at the table (since the other side of the table had the food laid out as well as miscellaneous work stuff taking up room) made him realize something.

_I can't picture being with anyone else_. He couldn't picture waking up with Duo not next to him, couldn't imagine kissing someone else or holding someone else's hand. He couldn't picture his arm around someone else's shoulders while watching the late night news. There was no one else who could make him happy, make him feel this way.

"Hey."

Duo slurped a bit of spaghetti into him mouth. "Yeah?"

"You got something…" Heero tried to gesture where, but Duo couldn't seem to get it (or maybe he didn't want to) so Heero got it off himself. With his mouth. He could _hear_ Duo's breathing increase just a little bit.

"That it?"

"No." Heero moved in his seat so he could retrieve the item in his pocket. It was a box. Not a ring box. Heero didn't want it to seem obvious. He placed it between their place settings.

"It's our seven month anniversary," Heero said, "so I got you something."

Duo stared at the box. "Oh. What's in it?"

Heero rested his cheek on his palm. "I don't know. Why don't you open it? I'm not going to ruin it for you."

Duo snorted and slowly lifted the box lid. He fitted it on the bottom of the box and looked inside. Surrounded by some sort of plush cottony material was a ring.

"It's a claddagh," Duo said. "Heero…" He looked at his boyfriend. "What are you…"

Heero looked at him then, gazed deep into his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, his face feeling hotter than usual.

"I know it's only been seven months, but we've known each other for three years, and in those three years and seven months I've realized a lot of things, and I…" He took a deep breath, let it go. "Marry me?"

Duo looked from the ring to Heero and back again. He set it on the table, and Heero's heart jumped into his throat. Shit. Was it too soon? Did Duo not have the same thoughts as him? Did—

Duo silenced those thoughts with a kiss. He smiled against Heero's mouth, and Heero felt something wet hit his cheek. Duo's arms wrapped around him, his forehead on his shoulder, and he heard Duo sniffle.

"H-Heero." He placed his left hand in Heero's right and nodded, unable to speak. Heero grabbed the ring from the box and slid it on Duo's finger.

"Koishiteruze," Heero whispered, as he held Duo in his arms.

"What?"

"Means 'I love you always'."

It took Heero three years and seven months to say _I love you_, because he wanted Duo to know he _meant_ it.


End file.
